In many current razors, the blade unit or razor cartridge is connected to the handle either by a connecting member indirectly to a handle or a connecting member that is integrated with a handle, and thus, directly to the handle. The connecting member generally has a pair of arms which connect to the blade unit and allow the blade unit in many instances to pivot about an axis relative to the connecting member. Similarly, in many razors without such a stand-alone connecting member, (e.g., a disposable type razor or a system type razor having a handle with an integrated connecting member in an upper portion) a pair of arms are generally also present on the upper portion of the handle for connection of the handle to the blade unit and in many instances, to allow the blade unit to pivot about an axis relative to the handle.
The pivoting function of the razor may occasionally not perform optimally. Generally, the cause may be attributed to the pivot rotation becoming jammed or otherwise immovable or compromised, or other interference of the connecting member with the housing of the razor cartridge. This may occur because of build-up of debris over time (e.g., cut hairs, dried or excess shave preparation) or too many physical drops (e.g., head down) during the course of use of the razor.
An improvement in the structure of the arms is needed to provide better control and functionality of the pivot mechanism, while still providing ease of manufacture and in turn offering the consumer a more pleasant operational experience.